All posts filed under: Life

New York City almost made me pop.

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As soon as I started my journey to New York and back, my brain popped wide open due to stress and excitement. It stayed that way nearly the whole trip and even though I document well, it feels like it hasn’t been me. I think I need a lie down in a cool dark room followed by a notebook session with all of my photos,  an attempt to make it all mine. It doesn’t feel like it was my trip, mainly because it is something I can’t believe I did by myself and didn’t throw up, not even a little bit. I did have a super amazing time and met some new people, listened to some great speakers and got to share cocktail time with some wonderful friends. Couldn’t ask for more really.  So when I have sorted my brain out, I will post my ‘New York city/Alt Summit Greatest Hits’! How are you with travelling by yourself?  Are you a scaredy cat like me or are you a brave little engine?

catseatdogs goes to New York City

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I found some cool books and an intriguing CD at the library. Zakka is a style I have only just heard of, I recognize it, but didn’t know it had a name and books! I am so inspired to bust out the sewing machine and make fabric into lovely stuff. The clothes book has some lovely versatile patterns in it. Clearly I am in need of a good fabric shop. Any recommendations? I am tempted to hit up a few in New York this weekend, but I fear I will not be able to contain myself! Did someone say New York? Guess where I am off today, I know- today! I am the perfectly hysterical mix of excited and nervous. My destination is Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for the Alt Summit design blogging conference. I may well pop with inspiration and ideas by Friday morning! I will be posting photos on Instagram using the hash tag #catseatdogsnyc. My user is @catseatdogsmakes and you can use the link on this page to my Instagram too. Can’t …

Nearly going home

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Aren’t holidays brilliant? I love them and this has been one of the best ever, two weeks in Cape Cod. We have have had all the weather available except snow and loved it! What else is brilliant about holidays? Going home! I love the going home part. I don’t love the trip to the airport and the waiting and waiting and taking your shoes off and holding up your jeans while they check your belt for any deadly metal. Mine has no deadly metal, it is a very kind belt, but it is needed in the ‘holding up my jeans and not flashing anyone while I take off my potentially killer shoes’ department. The boys went fishing and caught weed and something so huge it chewed off the fishy lure thing on the end of the line. We spotted lots of wildlife, including horseshoe crabs, gray seals, a coyote which was very cool and just behind our cottage (eek), birds birds and more birds, fiddler crabs (whoever invented those things was clearly drunk) and chipmunks …

More fabulous finds and Hanger B Eatery

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I can’t wait to hang these on a pendant or two when I get home to my jewelry equipment, they even have natural holes. I have also collected some more smooth shell shapes and pebbles which I am hoping to drill and make jewels from. We found these empty oyster shells attached to rocks at the local beach. They are like little ready made display items or little ornaments. Yesterday Bodhi wanted to bring back a big sea star which was a bit whiffy to say the least. After a lot of huffing and puffing he was persuaded to leave it and I said I would find him a more desirable sea star, expecting to make a trip to the gift shop which sells dried out sea critters. Little did I know that today I would find this teeny tiny fella washed up and dried out with some seaweed. We ate at Hanger B Eatery today and they had this fab weather station! My favorite is ‘tornado = no stone’! Hanger B at Chatham airport …

Sunset and Driller Moon Snails.

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We tripped over to Breakwater beach in Brewster to catch a Cape Cod sunset and what a stunner it was. We arrived at the beach about an hour before the sun was due to slink down the horizon. Plenty of time to explore tide pools and check out the Moon snails and Hermit crabs. I liked the buoy’s waiting patiently for the tide to come in. A pretty impressive sunset, thanks Brewster! Here is a lovely slimey Moon snail. I learned that they can drill holes into other shellfish in order to eat them up. Which explains the perfect round holes in some of the shells we have found. Delicious!

Abandoned towers and weeds

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After much research and unhelpful YouTube videos, we found the way to the abandoned Air Force Base of North Truro and the infamous Jenny Lind tower. I imagined a spy mission, scaling chain link fences and possible barbed wire and dodging ‘keep out’ signs. Amid no drama whatsoever, we arrived with no problem and parked next to a wooden box with ‘trail maps’ and a sign explaining the area and the base and the trail around it. Not very James Bond at all. The base now houses the Highlands Centre and has lots going on. Seashore research, buses coming and going and a performing arts centre. Having said that, the whole area still looks to be completely abandoned, the grass is tall, the plants overgrown, ‘keep out’ neatly stenciled on most doors and out of service fire hydrants. The buildings which are in use are only apparent by the signs on the doors and in the tall unkept grass around them. It is almost as though they are enjoying the solitude and peace the old …

Buddhas, beads and lighthouses

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As we are heading along the Cape, the town of Eastham can’t be passed without a visit to Buddha and Beads. A little antique store which has all kinds of treasure including lots of beads which ironically are not my favourite part of the store. There are wonders in every corner. There is now an outside bonus area which wasn’t here last time we visited. Green glass floats. Many many Buddhas, new and vintage. We headed out to the lighthouse and the beach next. The steps to Nauset light beach have been eroded away so they are building new ones. Right now. So, no access to the beach. We also came to see the lighthouse, so off we went. There are four lighthouses here in all. One working and the identical Three Sisters lighthouses residing in the woods just behind. Nauset lighthouse. Moved from Chatham to replace the Three Sisters lights. The top was painted red and the light signal is a white light followed by a red light. This lighthouse is featured in the …

Lucky stones and fluffy clouds

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Bodhi was given a lucky stone yesterday which is a stone from the beach with a band of quartz all the way through it making a white line. I am still trying to find out why they are considered lucky and if they are a Cape Cod thing. This must be one of the few times that Google is coming up empty! Of course if something is considered lucky, who am I to question. Today had been another fantastic day on the Cape and we headed out to Monomoy Wildlife reserve. We spotted horseshoe crab, hermit crabs, turkey vultures and lots of seabirds (no, I am not a bird watcher, I don’t know who they were). There were lots of pretty clouds too.

Phone photo apps

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Have you updated your ‘over’ app lately? I just updated mine and I have lots of cool new and free artwork to add to my pictures. While we are on the subject of apps, do you know of any app which allows you to draw on your own photos? I know Laminar Express lets you do this but the ‘pen’ line is super thick and I would like a thinner option. What cool photo apps do you use? Any new ones I need to know about?

A lovely day in Cape Cod

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A rainy beach walk and new sea weed. Cape cod soul photo challenge – yes, I have found a daily photo challenge just for Cape Cod! How cool is this! Follow along on my Instagram (@catseatdogsmakes) or wait for the round up at the end of the trip. We joined the Eldredge Library in Chatham and borrowed a pile of books and DVDs to keep us entertained! Roald Dahl, Scooby Doo, some animal books and some pirate books. Today is chock full of glorious sunshine! Braving the cold sea to check out a local Horseshoe crab friend!